Hands
by altaratheblack
Summary: Riku has loved sora forever, and now they're out of Kingdom Hearts. What now? RikuxSora, Riku's POV. Lots of fluff. Adding some mature content soon.
1. Leap

A/N: Welcome to the slash zone. Tonight's presentation is...

Hands

Chapter 1

It was an early morning in July when it happened. The sun was shining brightly on Destiny Island, as was the smile on Sora's face. Oh, how I loved that smile. It was joyful, but always had a touch of longing in it. The longing for something bigger, something better. I knew too well that smile. It was the smile I saw when my reflection appeared in still water, the smile that I felt tugging at my lips when I looked at him. He was always with her. Her sworn protector. He sole confidante. There was no place for me when she was around. She was the light in his life, the apple of his eye, the cream in his coffee. I was a friend, and only a friend. I was the only boy on the island that he could cry in front of and not be ashamed. Who would hold him in his arms when it was needed. Who he would tell al his secret fears and hopes to. But I was one he could never love. It frustrated me deeply. How could he share these things with me, stain me with his tears, and touch me with his soul, and expect me to stay platonic towards him? How could he expect that once we had shared blood, sweat, and life, I would not eventually come to love him? It was pure nonsense. What was I thinking? _I_ was pure nonsense. Of course he couldn't love me. He didn't know what real love was. All he knew was the love he felt for Kairi, and he could not understand that the feeling was a love for the family, a calling for embrace; it was not the love that I felt. He did not want her to hold him in her arms so he could cry. No. That was my job. But why? I wanted to ask him. Why will you not share yourself with her if that is what you so desperately want? Why will you not bear your soul in front of her if that is your deepest desire?

When we fought that day, I felt all of this, and I let my frustration about it out blow after gut wrenching blow. I let fly all my love for him, all my envy for her, all my hatred towards myself. It was only he and I fighting, showing our emotions without words, and ravaging our souls without touch. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my short but brutal life. When we finally collapsed out of exhaustion, there was no winner; there was no one claiming to be the champion. Only our harsh breathing could be heard, with no one for miles around. I turned over onto my back and wiped the sweat off of my forehead. "Some fight," I said to him quietly.

"Yeah," he replied, sighing and flipping his body closer to mine. His necklace clinked softly against his chest and the pendant came to a rest in the sand. I picked it up and stroked it with my thumb, revealing the silver beneath the grime.

"I've always liked this necklace," I said nostalgically. "It just suits you."

"I like it too," he said. "It makes me think of far away places, greater things."

"Like what?" His eyes met mine.

"Kings and fairy tales, princesses and magic toads. That sort of thing."

"Ah. You miss Goofy and Donald."

He sighed. "You know me too well."

"Anyone could have guessed," I said, "with the proper information."

"Only you could ever understand what it's like to lose something like that."

"Ah, but am I? You should give other people a chance."

He let out a quiet laugh. "Why would I want to do that, when you're already enough?"

How was that supposed to make me feel? I wondered. Sad? Happy? All I knew was that I felt very lonely all of a sudden. A cold washed over me despite the warmth of the sun, and I shivered. A concerned look flickered over his features for a moment, and then a taunting smile replaced it. "Aw, are you cold? Guess you wouldn't want to join me for a swim."

Warmth returned to my cheeks faster than I had expected. I was blushing. 'Caught off guard' is not a guise I greatly enjoy wearing. I composed myself and cleared my throat. "Sure."

We stripped down to our pants and walked over to the edge of the cove. He grabbed my hand. When I studied his face, his eyes were closed. "Ready?" he muttered with anticipation in his voice.

I gave his hand a quick squeeze and shut my eyes. "Ready."

We leapt off the cliff, still hand in hand, and spun together into the blue crystal ocean. One moment the air was rushing past us, the smell of salt water in our noses, the current whipping about our bodies, and then, without any warning or even a feeling of impact, we were underwater. I opened my eyes to see him there before me, my hand still firmly in his, and a scared look in his eyes. He grasped my other hand, and the water turned warm. Currents of emotion ran through me as he embraced me gently and then warily pressed his lips to mine.

I felt nothing else for the rest of the time we were in that blue water. All I can see is his soul in plain view, all I can feel now are his soft lips pressed against mine. Getting out of the water is a blur. I only came to when we were lying on the beach together in the sun, its rays warming us gently. But the sun wasn't really needed.

I ran a hand through his hair, smiling. He laughed and ran his thumb over my lips.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

"If it's as long as I have, then I feel your pain." I grinned evilly. "You should have seen your face. You were soooo scared."

He giggled. "No joke. I thought I was gonna piss my pants."

"Oh, so that's why the water was so warm."

He tackled me and we rolled over and over in the sand, wrestling and kissing and having a general good time. Nothing could ruin this right now.

We finally stopped, and I was lying on his chest with my arms around his waist.

" I love you," I said into his torso.

"I love you too," he said, sitting up. We kissed again, and again. But suddenly, I became aware of something watching us. I stiffened in horror. Her voice came over the waves, drifting lazily.

"So I guess you don't want to come over for dinner, huh, Sora?"

A/N: Well, what did you think? I'll have the next chapter up soon. R&R please?? Puppy eyes


	2. Discovery

A/N: Thanks for your patience with me as I slowly (but surely) finished this chapter. Well here it is...more Riku/Sora slashy goodness!

Hands: Chapter 2

I wouldn't have expected to see Sora like that. Not in a million years. As far as I knew, he was in love with me, and I had no reason to expect any different until the day we finally admitted our feelings for each other. But now, I wasn't even aware of what I'd thought _before_, only the emotions that I was trying to fathom _now._ What was going on? Did I do something wrong? Did I say something to make him think that I didn't love him? _Of course_ I loved him. He was my only reason left to pull through the day. He was like a sunrise in an endless night. Anytime I felt like crying, he was there for me to lean on, to comfort me, to wipe away my tears, crack a joke, and finally force me to smile. I always had a nagging thought at the back of my mind. If I could cry with him, why couldn't he cry with me? Anything that upset him was between him and Riku. I was never even an option. I wasn't important enough. I shoved the thought away and dismissed it as a "boys don't cry" matter.

But if they didn't cry, then why did Riku?

I could hear him. Every night, I could hear him. He would punch the wall until his knuckles bled, then scream at his pillow until his throat was sore. I never knew why. At least not_ consciously._ Ever heard of selective hearing? But now I knew...now I could figure out why he would scream at no one, "Why can't I have him?" and why, for all this time, my hands just weren't strong enough. My hands.

Sora would never be mine. What was I going to do? Kill Riku? He was my friend—they both were—and nothing was going to change. I loved Sora too much to make him sad. But I'll admit this: I always had a hope that somehow, Sora would be "cured"—that he would come back to me, and finally cry on my shoulder.

Exactly what went through my mind at the moment I saw Riku's lips on my Sora's, I don't remember. Maybe it was shock. Maybe it was sadness. Or maybe I felt nothing. Maybe I had known it all along, and I was just too numb to react to the truth.

Nomatter what I felt then, I made a simple decision: to confront my friends and come to terms with what had happened. I knew there was no turning back. So instead of inviting just Sora to dinner, I invited them both.

It was quiet at first. Awkward. I laid a few things out on the table; nothing was touched. They just stared at their plates like I was their mother and they'd broken a rule. I swear, their faces would have been comical if it weren't under those particular circumstances. Oh, what am I saying? I've avoided saying it the entire time. It would have been comical if I hadn't just discovered they were _gay._ There, I said it.

"Well," I said sarcastically, "this is just the most wonderful dinner party I've ever been to."

No one laughed. No one even moved. I couldn't stand it. They were so..._mopey._

"Oh, for Pete's sake," I said, and I threw a clump of food at Sora.

He stared at me, shocked, and then grinned a little. Then wider.

"I think Kairi's just challenged us to a food fight, Riku," he whispered threateningly.

"Hmmm," he said, picking up a little clump of food.

In less than a second, we were all attacking each other, throwing food, and wrestling until we ran out of breath. We collapsed on the ground, smiling wide, and rolled over to face the other two.

"Well that was fun," Riku commented.

"And it always will be, guys. No matter what or who you are, I will always be your friend."

And that was when I saw Sora cry for the very first time. The sight of the two of them crying together was something I'll never forget. Because the way they looked at each other was so affectionate, the way they held hands so moving. And I knew that even though I could never have Sora now, those two would make sure that I was always wanted.


	3. Admission

A/N: PLEASE READ THIS!

Although you people may not be aware of it, I am having a contest. I will write any fan fiction, any pairing, any rating, for the thirteenth person who mails me their request at .

Now on to chapter 3!

Hands

Chapter 3

After Kairi found out about our little "problem", it was much easier on my mind. Stupid as it sounds, I was still sort of ashamed of loving Riku, and coming to terms with it was now my top priority. Why in the world—how even—could I be ashamed of _Riku?_ He was the most wonderful person in the world to me. I couldn't possibly have a real reason to be embarrassed. It was a pointless emotion. I started to have once again those thoughts I used to have—the ones where I would wonder if what was happening was real or fake. It seemed, quite frankly, too good to be true. The nights I spent under the stars with him seemed to last forever, and that was just fine with me. Looking into his eyes was more satisfying than anything else I could be doing.

We spent three blissful months together without anyone knowing, anyone finding out, and Kairi to talk to. I thought it would be enough to stay like that forever. But, of course, Selphie and Wakka began to wonder. I suppose the human nature is to wonder about what you do not know—they were not to blame for worrying about my mysterious disappearances, goofy smiles, and constant daydreams, but inside, I blamed them anyways. Why did they have to know everything? Couldn't they just say that I was happy and forget about it? Of course not. I was their friend, and they were bound to worry when I stopped talking as much, when I asked strange questions, when I wasn't anywhere to be found all night, and when I slept all day.

"Sora, is there something wrong?" Selphie asked me one day while we were fishing together.

"No. Not at all." I gave her a forced smile. "Why do you ask?"

"No reason. It's just…" she sniffed. "We never fish like this anymore. Only once every couple of weeks. And…you always look so tired."

She peered up at me, tears in her eyes. She'd gotten older since my return from Kingdom Hearts. She was now a beautiful young woman, sweet and innocent, with a newfound crush on Tidus, and hopes of becoming something great. I saw a lot of what I used to be in her. She's even asked me if any of this is real or not. Maybe one day, she'll go back to Kingdom Hearts in my place.

I stroked her hair and smiled—for real this time. "Selphie, you don't need to worry about me. I just…I have a lot of things to do right now."

"Okay," she said, the happy note returning to her voice. "Just know that no matter what's wrong, you can always tell me, 'kay?"

"No problem, kid," I said, pulling her into a giant noogie.

"Hey! No fair!" She started up after me, and we raced around the island together.

Later that night, as I was lying once again in Riku's arms, I sighed heavily.

"Something wrong?" he said, putting a hand on my cheek. "I'm not boring you, am I?"

I laughed. "No, of course not. It's just that…I talked with Selphie today. Everyone's worried about me. Tidus and Wakka are being serious, for once. And I feel guilty about giving everyone—especially Selphie—a lie or excuse everyday as to why I'm falling asleep over the rafts, or daydreaming. I…I want to…"

"You want to tell them the truth about us," Riku said quietly. "So do I. But I'm so scared, Sora. Our friends might not be our friends anymore. We live in very close quarters, and if they can't accept it, we'll be alone, with nowhere to go."  
"Think about it," I said with a shaky voice. "If we don't tell them, do you honestly think that we'll be able to keep this a secret forever?"

He sighed and placed an arm around my waist, and his other hand over my heart.

"I just don't want to lose you…" he whispered, and I felt a tear fall on my face.

"You won't. Never. Through thick and thin, good and bad, sickness and health, I'll always be there. Just like your favorite damn disease."

He laughed, somewhat bitterly, just like old times.

"You sound like a preacher, Sora."

The next day was unreasonably hot. Riku and I had decided to tell everyone at the "end of the summer" party. That wasn't too long from now. Summer on Destiny Island ends on Halloween. Three weeks. That was all the time we had to prepare. Kairi offered what condolences she could, which really wasn't much, when placed next to the daunting task at hand. Doubt flooded my mind every day. I was always able to push it away, but not without difficulty. Maybe Selphie wouldn't be as understanding as I thought she would. Maybe Wakka would never talk to me again. Maybe my old sparring partner Tidus would be disgusted that he had clashed swords with someone like me.

No matter the doubt, I knew they were my friends. They were truly my friends. They would accept me as I came. Animalistic fear was not enough to shake my faith in them.

I stared out at the water, thinking all of it over, when Tidus appeared next to me.

"Sora, I've got some bad news," he said. "Can you handle it right now? You seem depressed."

"Tidus, I think I could handle just about anything at this point." I said with a smile.

"There's been an accident," he said, his voice low and heavy. "Kairi fell off the high pier."

A/N: Sorry, but there had to be a cliffhanger _sometime._ Until next chapter!


	4. Fall

A/N: God, you people must hate me by now…. I've been gone for months. Anyway, enjoy!

Hands

Chapter 3

I woke up groggily, faintly remembering that heavy feeling of the ocean smacking into your chest, and blinked around a few times. A pair of blue eyes watched me intently, and a pair of green eyes were fuzzy with tears.

"Kairi?" The blue eyes said to me. "Can you hear me? It's Sora."

As the rest of the room swam blurrily into view, I gave a weak smile. "Sora." My voice cracked on the second syllable, and I felt warm tears fall down my face. "I'm sorry…"

Riku shushed me, and poured a fresh glass of water for my nightstand. "It's all right. What happened?"

I couldn't look them in the face. Not after what had just happened. Not after what I'd tried to do. How could they be so kind to me? Didn't they figure out by now what I had done?

They looked at me so intently, and with such deep concern, it made me angry with myself. I had to tell them—they deserved to know. "I jumped."

Pure shock crossed both their faces. I realized how what I had just said would sound. "No, no, not because of you two. It was because…you can't."

"We can't what, Kairi?" Riku said, taking my hand. "We can't what?"

"You can't tell them," I whispered. "Wakka will hate you."

Sora looked stupefied. "Why would you think that?"

"He thinks it's sick. I asked him, and…he said…" I looked away. "I asked, 'do you know what gay is?' and he said, 'Yeah, sure I do. It's those sickos that molest kids and have sex with other men, right?'"

Sora cringed. I saw tears come to his eyes, and Riku put a hand on his shoulder, and cleared his throat. "It was to be expected."

Sora shot him a look that was a combination of "huh?" and "how dare you!".

"Didn't you ever meet his parents before they died?" Riku said gently. "They were so…strange. And the father…did unforgivable things to Wakka."

The brunette boy's expression softened. "I can't blame him for that."

"No one can," I said tenderly. "But when I heard it, I just thought, 'oh god, Sora will kill himself if his friend betrays him.' And the thought of living without you was…too much to bear." I felt myself choke up again.

Sora kissed my forehead, and took my hand. "I understand." He smiled, stroking my hair. "I'd die without you, too."

A dry sob escaped me, and despite the bandage covering my presumably broken ribs, I reached up and embraced him.

"It'll be okay," he said. I felt a tear drop onto my neck. "It'll all be fine."

He was lying. The truth was, it wouldn't be fine. At least not at first. But when Wakka was finally able to see, there was a chance that maybe, just maybe, it would all be all right.

"Well," Riku said. "You'd better rest up. Those ribs might take a while to heal up. Selphie will be in soon to replace the bandages and get you some food you can eat."

"Thanks," I replied, waving goodbye. Sora took one final look back at me, smiled with his eyes the way only he can, and walked out.

I thought for a while after that. I thought about what Wakka would do, how Sora would take it, whether or not the relationship between my two best friends in the world would have to stay a secret forever, and about how much I was worrying about Wakka all of a sudden. I thought about how he had been there for me when I cried about Sora, all the nights we had spent on the shore, laughing until we thought we were going to pee our pants, how he had given me sparring lessons. One particular memory seemed to be coming back to me little by little…

_It was late out one night, right after the original ruin of the island in which our parents had all died trying to save us, and Wakka and I were out on the beach, staring intently at the stars. He turned to face me, and whispered, "Kairi?"_

"_Hm?" I said sleepily._

"_If you could share a paopu with anyone, who would it be?"_

_I just looked at him. I was too young to really understand the question, so I said, "You, of course."_

_He smiled at me, and snuggled in closer._

Had that been why we were so close? I remembered that when Sora had first come to be our friend, and I had started to fall in love with him, that Wakka had always been mean and confrontational with him. Had that been why all along? Was Wakka in love with me?

More importantly….did I love Wakka?

Well, It was nice to get back to good old-fashioned writing…hope you liked it! R&R pleeease!


	5. Past

Hands

Chapter 5

I never really knew Wakka that well before Kairi jumped. Even though we were truest friends, I'd never seen him cry, never seen him hurt, never seen him show weakness. But I knew now why I had never known him. It was because the only thing that could even begin to affect him physically and emotionally was seeing Kairi hurt. When we told him that it was no accident that had occurred—that she had jumped—the look was there, behind his eyes. He held it back as the two of us stood there for what seemed like hours, my green eyes boring into his brown, until he finally cracked and disintegrated into tears on the floor. I kneeled down beside him and tried to take him into my arms, but I could feel the resistance in his body. He couldn't even trust another male human being, even now, years after those horrible nights.

"Wakka," I said. "It's okay. Please. I want to help you."

"Get away from me!" He said, lashing out at me with a thrust of his elbow. I held his arm fast, and pushed it back to its place at his side.

"You need to trust me." I said, still wary of him. "I'm going to tell you everything that has happened without your knowing, and I mean everything. No more secrets, no more lies. You need to know the truth. And furthermore, you need to understand."

"What do I need to understand? Do I need to understand why she jumped? Do I need to understand why everyone I trusted in my life is either dead, trying to die, or insane!"

"No," I said sternly. "You need to understand how your misinformation is affecting those around you." My tone softened. "You also need to understand that it is time to let go. Some people around you need you now more than ever."

"Who needs me? Kairi apparently doesn't, or she wouldn't have taken matters into her own hands and tried to…" His voice cracked.

"Sora and Kairi need you. Surely you know that. But maybe you do not know that I need you."

He looked confused.

"Wakka," I looked away, closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "I know that what your father did was wrong. You never deserved to go through that. No one deserves to go through that. You've been my friend as long as I can remember. We have trained together, eaten together, slept under the stars together, and built a great friendship. But it may yet be a ruined friendship. Because, according to Kairi, what I am about to tell you may change your view of me altogether." I looked him straight in the eyes and said, "I am in love with Sora. I am gay."

His face became stern. He looked at me with disgust for a moment. Then, as though he had just realized what he was doing, his creased face relaxed and his eyes widened.

"I promise you," I said, hoping, praying, "That I would never do what your father did. And I am not a pervert because I am in love with him. I love him, truly and dearly. Just like you love Kairi."

That seemed to be a true weight in the situation. He took a moment, and then laughed.

"Jeez. What am I doing? That must've been why Kairi jumped…wasn't it? She knew and I didn't?"

"Yeah," I said, my heart lightening. "So, why don't you go see her? Oh, and here…" I pulled a paopu from my pocket. "I hear these are great pick-me-ups if you share them with the right person." I winked at him.

He took it from me, and hesitated, as though he were going to say something. Then he gave me a quick hug and walked away.

Sora strolled back down the hall towards me, and I took him into my arms and kissed him until he was laughing and yelling, "Help! It's the PDA monster!" When I stopped and looked up, I realized that Wakka was still standing in the hallway. Sora looked like a ton of bricks had hit him, but Wakka just laughed and said, "Geez, get a room." Before going into Kairi's room.

Sora looked relieved. But I had seen it. The slight cringe. Wakka was our friend. Wakka would do anything for us. But people don't change in a day. Wakka was going to need some time. And he was going to find that time in Kairi.


	6. Honesty

Hands

Chapter 6

Once Kairi had been released from the medicinal ward, and was making a full recovery, she and Wakka began to see each other more regularly than before. And, very slowly, his healing process began. It may have been the love that she gave him, and that he gave her in return, or it may have been the fact that he could talk openly about what had happened to him with somebody. He needed that more than anything else, I think.

Riku and I were still preparing ourselves for the reveal to Tidus and Selphie. With newfound hope that everything would turn out okay, and constant reassurance from Wakka and Kairi, we were beginning to be less scared, and more excited. The relief that we had found in telling Wakka had been immense, and we were eager to relieve the tension with everyone else.

September came and went, as all months do, and we were soon in the cooler months of October. Decorations could be seen everywhere, and people were happy and excitable. Halloween has always been a fun holiday on Destiny Island, no matter what else was wrong with the world. Riku and I made our own form of celebration by finally moving into the same house together. (With two beds of course, and claiming that each of us had our own respective rooms. This was met with chuckling and laughter from Kairi and Wakka. Wakka, in particular, was silenced with a quick punch to the arm—Kairi, not so easily so.)

Now that we lived together, nights seemed a bit—for want of a better word—awkward to me. We had never had sex, or anything close to it, so sleeping together put a new pressure on me. I didn't know if he had ever done it—nor, I confess, would I have asked. But this not knowing put a certain pressure on me. I can't say exactly what it was, but waking up in the middle of the night, with his arm around me, did things, as you could probably have figured out on your own. I'm not sure if I was pressuring myself or if his presence alone was, but I felt that it would happen soon.

We were approaching the final days of October. The wind was crisp with the coming winter air, but it still held some of the calm tides of fall. The day before the party, as came to get into bed with Riku, I noticed that he was still wide-awake. He was usually half asleep by the time I got into bed; just awake enough to wrap his arms around me before drifting off. I sit down beside him and pulled the covers up to my waist, and he gestured me to lie on his shoulder. I complied. Stroking my hair, he said, "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

I nodded. "As happy as I'll be to get it off my chest…"

He sighed in agreement. "There's always the risk of losing them," he finished for me.

He looked straight into my eyes, in that penetrating way that only he can, and said, "Has something been bothering you that I should know about?"

I laughed. "Only you would be able to tell," I said nervously. Looking down at his chest, I began to get more and more nervous.

"Spit it out before you kill yourself worrying," he said with a laugh.

"It's just…we sleep together so often and…"

"Ahh," he said, coming to the realization. Taking my chin into his hand, much like a father would, he said, "Lie on my stomach. Get comfortable."

I obeyed, nervously.

"Look here," he said, pointing to his heart. "What do you see?"

"Your chest, where your heart should be."

He took my hand, placing it on his chest where his own hand had been. "What do you feel?"

I felt his heart pounding beneath my fingertips for a moment, and then said, "Your heartbeat."

Pulling my head up to where my hand had been, so my ear was level with it, he said, "What do you hear?"

"Your heartbeat." I said, enjoying the sound, and its comfort.

"That—my heartbeat—will always be for you. Nothing will change. I _love _you, Sora. I will wait until you are ready to do such things. I will not ask, I will not pressure. And when the time comes, I will not ask you if you are ready, because that often makes a man lose his courage in the moment. I am content to wait" he said, looking down at me, forcing me up, and putting his own ear against my heart, "and to listen."

I held him in my arms, glad for his reassurance, and then let him lie on his back. I fell asleep on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

When I woke up, Riku was changing into his Halloween costume. He was wearing cat ears and a cat tail, just as I was. He had made silver to match his hair, and brown to match mine. We got more than a few comments that we were cute, which Riku met with a smile, while I met them with a swift smack to the head in the case of Wakka. Kairi made a huge joke out of tugging on my tail. She was wearing a witch's costume.

The party turned out to be more fun than I had in a while. The punch was great—paopu flavored. I laughed and clapped as I watched Kairi and Wakka drink it together, and smiled at the happiness in their eyes as they kissed for the first time. "Want some?" said a voice in my ear. Riku was on my shoulder.

"Maybe after we tell them, eh?" I said with a laugh. He smiled and then said, "It's late. We should get this done soon. Before everyone goes home."

I gulped and nodded. He took my hand and led me up to a wooden crate, which we proceeded to stand on together.

"Sora and I have an announcement to make," he said, looking to me. "Should you tell them, or should I?"

His eyes said it all for me; he wanted me to tell them. I nodded, and looked to the room, into the faces of my four friends. Selphie and Tidus looked confused, but Kairi and Wakka looked happier than I had seen them in a while. Wakka even gave a little cheer.

"Selphie, Tidus…you guys are my best friends. You've been there for me through thick and thin. And I hope that you'll be here for me through this, as well. I," I hesitated for a moment, looked down, then gathered my thoughts and looked up again. "I love Riku. We're together. We're in love."

The room was silent for a moment, and Kairi looked over to Tidus and Selphie, who looked stupefied. Quickly, though, a smile broke on Tidus's face. "I knew it! I knew it!" and he started cheering. Selphie laughed and smiled, and then came to hug Riku and me.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier, silly?" she said as she hugged me for the third or fourth time.

"I didn't know what you'd think," I said, laughing through her unstoppable glomps.

Riku and I kissed in the middle of everyone, and cheers followed from all our friends.

The party continued on into the wee hours of the morning. We laughed, and drank paopu juice until we could barely move for fear of floating away. When I finally crawled into bed with Riku, feeling completely safe and happy for the first time in months, I curled up next to him, gladly accepting the darkness that came over me so easily.


End file.
